Juggling Teaching, Coaching, and Parenting: How Coach Cate Gets It Done

Written by Freshman, Nabhya Joshi

Coach Cori Cate has a lot to do every day: teaching three different electives, coaching volleyball and then going home to her family. Her three classes aren’t easy to teach, either. They might sound like normal electives, fun and less intimidating than teaching a core class, but making lessons for three different classes while coaching and managing the volleyball program is enough to make any person exhausted. Even so, Coach Cate gets it done.

Cate currently teaches Fundamentals of Business Communications and Technology, Social Media Marketing and Sports Marketing. “I have a planning period to help plan for my classes, and other teachers try their best to help,” she said when asked about managing teaching those classes. “The fall is hard since I’m married to a football coach and coach a fall sport, but in the spring, things loosen up, and it becomes much easier to manage.”

While the three take an obvious amount of patience and hard work to manage, Cate says that teaching, coaching, and parenting are all interdependent. “Everything is intertwined. Teaching and coaching make me a better mom as I interact with kids, and being a mom makes me a better teacher and coach,” she says. Her responsibilities go far beyond just coaching, though. Cate is in charge of the volleyball program, which means she sets up schedules, plans with other coaches, and hosts character-building book studies. She has helped build a stronger volleyball program with a culture of service and respect in addition to winning matches. Her players think of her fondly and appreciate all that she does for them in the classroom and on the court.

Coach Cate is a mother of two boys that keep her busy. They have found a home with her players, and she is an incredible example of a mother that works hard to make her dreams come true. She dedicates an admirable amount of time to building great students and players, and she takes time out of her own life to do extracurricular activities and build comprehensive lessons. She’s not just a teacher; she’s not just a coach.